About Us

This is Greg and in his early thirties he got invited for a trip on “De Herwig“, a wooden 7m round bilge built in 1948, for his first sailing experience.
He still remembers the early morning drive, preparing the boat, the sound of an old 1 cyl diesel engine and hoisting the sails.
The moment the engine was turned off and the boat moved through the water, only powered by the morning breeze he was hooked.
Having never set foot on a sailboat, learning to sail seemed like an impossible dream.

Over the next years the dream turned into reality: Greg learned to sail, bought a small boat, did some regatta’s and started reading books about sailing.
This sparked a new dream: to live on a boat and sail around the world.
After meeting Julie, they got a bigger boat and realized that they could actually do this together.
So after some years of sanding, painting, upgrading, more sanding and painting, it’s finally time to start this adventure.

Julie basically had no clue about sailing until she met Greg. She even wondered for the first 6 years they were together why Greg was so passionate about this hobby. When he first told her that he wanted to sail around the world, she had mixed feelings. Yes, she loved being on the water and she loved traveling but a boat also meant a lot of work and this would mean they had to leave a comfortable live behind. Was it all worth it?

The Covid-19 lockdown gave her other insights and during that time she really missed sailing and being out on the water. She wanted to be free and explore the world at her own pace and in an environmental way. So what’s better than doing this with their beloved sailboat El Burro. So that was it, they were actually going to officially plan this adventure and soon enough Julie went for her certificate of radio operator and international certificate for operators of pleasure craft. Who would have thought that she would actually like it. Yes, the boat refit was sometimes frustrating but she loved how the boat finally became a home. Today, Julie is also very passionate about sailing and she looks forward to all the adventures they’ll have.

Nelly really hates the sound of the engine turning on. You know, that little ‘beep’ sound. Whenever she hears it she runs to the v-berth and hides in a corner between some pillows. During the day she just stays there and sleeps. When you check if she is doing OK, she makes some cute sounds to greet you. Nelly becomes active during sunset and it can be a challenge sometimes for Greg and Julie to keep an eye on her when she plays on deck. She loves to jump on the dodger and just stare at the water. At night, she likes to cuddle in bed and steal Julie’s pillow.

Noor was part of our family for five months. Unfortunately she died of a horrible disease called FIP. We started a treatment but she only got weaker and weaker so we had to let her go. We remember Noor as the sweetest cat alive. We feel blessed that she came into our life, even though it was too short. She didn’t even had the chance to experience boat life and to go on a big adventure with us. Thanks for being part of our family Noor, we’ll miss you so much.

Noodle was the brave, little sailor cat aboard the El Burro. She loved to soak up the sun lying peacefully underneath the dodger. When it was becoming dark Julie took her inside which she really hated. If it was up to Noodle she would have slept all night on her favorite spot. If she was not lying there, she loved to explore the front deck especially when it just stopped raining. She loved to drink fresh rainwater. One thing she didn’t like were those strange red, green or yellow things floating on the water (buoys).

Unfortunately Noodle passed away in Dec ’21 but she will always remain part of the El Burro crew. A true OG.